GTMA "NEWS ARTICLES" or EVENTS" for British Toolmaking Industry, in MC-Tooling

GTMA "News"

EAMA elects new chairman

ABB's Martin Walder to lead engineering alliance

The Engineering and Machinery Alliance (EAMA) announced today that Martin Walder, managing director of ABB Robotics in the UK, has been elected chairman of the group.

EAMA's nine associations¹ represent 1,300 mechanical engineering firms with 60,000 employees and an annual turnover of some £7 billion.

Martin Walder, 44, has held senior positions in Rockwell (1989-2001) and more recently at ABB. Martin Walder said: "Mechanical engineering is an important UK exporter, consistently running a positive trade balance. However, last year export sales were only very slightly up on 2006 and the net trade balance shrank to £3.2 billion, the sector's smallest contribution since 1995.

"EAMA is keen to continue to engage with government on exporting and other issues on a positive basis and in a practical way. But the UK cannot sustain a forty percent decline in net mechanical engineering export earnings over the longer term.

"We understand the government's concerns with developments in the financial sector. But this should not blind ministers to what's happening elsewhere. For example, the MACH trade show last week was an excellent showcase with many illustrations of UK-based manufacturing success. It was good to see Ian Pearson the minister for science and innovation and shadow secretary of state for business Alan Duncan taking an interest in MACH and in manufacturing.

"I am also delighted that we have been able to persuade EAMA's outgoing chairman Graham Hayes to take on the new role of EAMA president." Graham Hayes was EAMA chairman for four years 2004-2008.

GTMA Emerging Technologies Event Draws the Crowds

The recent GTMA "Emerging Technologies" event kindly hosted by Delcam UK at its Birmingham facility, proved an outstanding success, attracting more than 80 visitors from across the country.

The format of the day, brief presentations on a range of different topics; including automation, direct metal sintering, rapid prototyping, thermoforming and the latest innovations in injection moulding, proved very popular, allowing attendees to gain an insight into many new technologies in a short space of time.

GTMA CEO, Julia Moore, comments; "In order to survive in today's competitive environment it is essential that engineering companies keep informed of the latest trends and opportunities. As OEMs divest themselves of all but their core competences, they pass their technical and development requirements down the supply chain.

However, these SMEs are often so keenly focused on their day-to-day operations that scanning the horizon for technological developments is a low priority. This is where Universities, Research Centres and Trade Associations can help by providing opportunities for SMEs to become aware of, and involved in, new product and process technologies, new markets and new techniques, new standards and regulations.

Attendee, Steve Hebdon, Senior Development Manufacturing Engineer, BAE SYSTEMS Electronics and Integrated Solutions, Rochester was enthusiastic; ""Both my colleagues and myself would like to thank the GTMA for the invitation to the emerging technologies series of talks. Points of contact gained have proved to be very valuable and have led us to follow up on a number of new technologies and possible future production methods".

GTMA Members Get to Grips with the Medical Sector

GTMA CEO, Julia Moore, shares some thoughts on the opportunities in this challenging but expanding market.

"The UK is well known for punching above its weight in the medical engineering sector, serving a healthcare market measured in hundreds of billions of pounds annually. With a "home team" which includes some of the world's leading clinicians, scientists and researchers, it is not surprising that some of the most cutting-edge healthcare products for the world market originate here.

Such excellent market opportunities have not gone unremarked and a report published by one of the Government's top advisory groups, the Council for Science and Technology, has recently selected medical devices as one of the six new technology areas central to the UK's future prosperity.

However, this is not only a highly specialist field, it is also a highly competitive one, and the UK suppliers who have succeeded have done so by working closely with other partners in the supply chain, to provide demanding customers with world-class products. As part of its Buyers:Suppliers Network initiative, GTMA is working closely with buyers in the Medical Devices sector and has already established a Medical Sector register of more than 50 engineering supply companies in the UK and Ireland.

Many, if not all of the companies on the register are already involved in bringing to market new products which are set to improve the health-outcomes of patients across the world - examples are given below of GTMA-member companies who have been critical participants in the development and manufacture of two such products.

Darren Webb, of Paragon Rapid Technologies, specialists at replicating twin shot mouldings, spoke at a recent GTMA Medical Engineering Event at Birmingham University, where he shared with the audience his firm's experiences of rapid prototyping in the medical sector. Paragon is a young company which began trading in 2003 but already employs 26 staff. It sets its own targets high with the stated aim of being the leader in its field, producing fully representative prototype models of the highest quality.

It is Paragon's contention that Rapid Prototyping is moving from being a luxury to becoming a necessity, particularly in the medical sector, where the company has completed a large number of projects. One such project in which it has participated is the development of the skin for the i-LIMB hand, a first-to-market prosthetic device with five individually powered digits. The replacement hand looks and acts like a real human hand and represents a generational advance in bionics and patient care.

Another GTMA-member company, this time at the other end of the supply chain, is RW Injection Moulding, which specialises in the supply of plastic injection moulded parts to pharmaceutical and medical manufacturers around the world.

RW Injection Moulding has been experiencing considerable success in this market, so much so that it has recently expanded its manufacturing capacity by opening a 10,000sq foot extension to its facility - equipped with state of the art injection moulding machines - to cope with increasing workload moulding medical filtration components, and this is in addition to its existing Class 10,000 Cleanroom facility.

To give an idea of the scale of production at RW's Durham plant, Operations Director, John Pearson gives this example; "For the medical sector, quality is crucial, but the sheer volume of moulded components can require special process solutions. We are currently manufacturing 3,000,000 inhaler gaskets a month for one of our customers - the critical dimensions of which are each and every one of which is automatically visually inspected."

Medical equipment developments such as these call for the use of the most advanced machining technology and techniques - and the goalposts keep moving; dimensions that were considered challenging a mere couple of years ago are now considered every-day, while what was previously technically impossible is now a specified requirement.

GTMA is committed not only to promoting excellence in the medical and pharmaceutical engineering supply chain, but also to assisting UK supply companies to participate in those supply chains at the highest level possible. To help them do this the association has put in place an infrastructure of support, including training and development, the provision of sector-specific technical seminars and networking events, briefing papers and invitation-only exhibitions, as well as one-on-one consultant support.

For buyers, the association offers its extensive knowledge of the industry, current capacity, availability and expertise within a wide range of engineering suppliers, working closely with each key sector to maintain and increase business and technology leadership.

GTMA "serving the needs of industry"

Key activities:
Our members realise the importance of communicating their latest successes, initiatives, investments, appointments or business milestones, not just to provide their companies with coverage in the GTMA Newsletter and bulletins, but to guarantee exposure to a wider audience in the trade and technical press.

In particular we deal with -

- how effective marketing can help grow your business

- media relations and regular updates on industry opportunities

- sales enquiries to our web site

These are some of the areas dealt with by the GTMA :-

Media:

Strong working relationships with the leading trade press & media ensure GTMA and its members are regularly featured. GTMA is often consulted on editorial features & events and can provide press & public relation services for individual members as required.

Industry Representation:

Presentations to industry are a vital element of GTMA partnership initiatives. A key objective is to promote GTMA members as an essential link within the manufacturing supply chain, highlighting the benefits of partnerships with an early involvement between customer and supplier.

GTMA News & GTMA Bulletin Board:

This is a regular publication which highlights industry events; business opportunities; current affairs; legislation; statistical surveys; social activities; company profiles; export initiatives etc. Advertising of products & services is encouraged and special editions are targeted to industry at 'customer' level.

GTMA Buyer's Guide & Directory of Members:

The GTMA Buyers' Guide increases in importance every year with evidence that more and more customers are nominating GTMA members as preferred suppliers. The GTMA Buyer's Guide gives details on all GTMA members and information relating to the size of company, maximum size and weight of tool manufactured and ISO EN 9000 status. The Members' Profile section serves to provide detailed information on member companies, with the GTMA Buyer's Guide acting as a quick reference guide. The Buyer's Guide is widely distributed to purchasing sections in all the main industry sectors served by GTMA members. It is also made available at a wide range of industries and distributed at key trade exhibitions world-wide.

Sales Enquiries:

GTMA regularly receives sales enquiries for specific toolmaking solutions, products and associated services - both within the UK and from overseas. Enquiries are matched to member's skills and passed to the relevant members for quotation.

Contact Details: GTMA, 3 Forge House, Summerleys Road, Princes Risborough, Bucks, HP27 9DT, UK
Tel: 01844 274222, Fax: 01844 274227
Web Site: www.gtma.co.uk

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